1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to magnetic resonance imaging equipment, and in particular to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus that reduces anxiety on the part of a patient undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging procedure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Great expense and technical resources are applied to the problem of increasing the diameter of the patient-receiving bore in imaging magnets such as those used in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), primarily to address the issues of patient comfort and acceptance of the procedure. An increase of 1 mm diameter of the patient bore is currently estimated to add to the cost of a magnet by GB£400 for a 3 T magnet, in wire cost alone (including overheads).
Discomfort and stress during imaging can lead to a number of problems, including:                Movement of the patient causes image degradation to the extent that the sequence must be repeated, particularly common amongst elderly and child patients.        Faster pulse rate and adrenalin release can make it difficult for patients to hold their breath for extended periods, important for chest/torso imaging.        Ultimately, an uncomfortable experience can lead to refusal of the patient to enter the bore for repeat scans, with consequences for the patient, and for scan schedules.        
In some situations, it has been found that patient rejection of imaging due to claustrophobia is a greater problem than actual inability to image due to obesity.
Accordingly, it is conventional that the patient bore is made as wide as reasonably possible, with due regard to final system cost. The maximized bore is then typically internally covered by “looks” covers, typically approximately 6 mm thick. The patient is received within an inner surface of the “looks” cover. The “looks” cover is provided to improve the aesthetic appearance of the bore as seen by a patient, and also offers thermal and acoustic insulation. However, it reduces the available the bore diameter by about 12 mm, in a typical solenoidal magnet arrangement using such covers.
FIG. 1 shows an axial half cross-section of a typical solenoidal MRI magnet arrangement, which is substantially cylindrical about axis A-A. Superconducting magnet 10 has a number of superconducting coils 12 wound onto a former 14. The magnet is housed within a cryogen vessel 16 and is cooled to temperatures at which superconductivity is possible by partial immersion in a cryogen such as liquid helium, or by any of the other methods known to those skilled in the art. An outer vacuum chamber 18 surrounds the cryogen vessel 16 and provides thermal isolation of the cryogen vessel 16. An inner cylindrical surface 20 of the outer vacuum container 18 is known as the warm bore. This warm bore houses gradient coil 22 and body coil assembly 24. A patient table must be provided within the body coil, and sufficient space must remain within the bore of the body coil to comfortably accommodate a patient in patient bore 25.
FIG. 2 shows a radial cross-section of the magnet system of FIG. 1. As illustrated, a patient bed 26 is partially supported 27 by the body coil assembly 24.
A ‘looks’ cover may be provided on the inner bore of the body coil assembly, to improve the appearance of the patient bore, as viewed by the patient. Alternatively, a surface treatment may be applied to the inner bore of the body coil assembly to provide an attractive appearance to the surface of the patient bore 25.
FIGS. 3A-3B show a typical body coil assembly 24 in more detail, in radial (FIG. 3A) and axial (FIG. 3B) cross-sections. A body coil former 28 is provided, typically cylindrical and composed of a glass-reinforced resin or other composite material. Other materials may of course be used for the body coil former, but the material chosen should be non-magnetic and of relatively low thermal conductivity. It is typically several millimeters thick. In certain known arrangements, it is about 6 mm thick. Coils of wire 30 are provided on the outer surface of the body coil former. In other known arrangements, the coils 30 are embedded within a structural material, such as a two-part resin, which retains the coils 30 and also serves as the body coil former.
It is the body coil former 28 which carries rails 27 for supporting patient table 26. The body coil former acts as a heat barrier between the coils 30 and the patient. For safety reasons, it is necessary to maintain a certain separation between the coils 30 and the patient. The body coil former 28 may therefore be relatively thick, for example, of 20 mm thickness.
In use, the superconducting magnet 10 provides a relatively high strength, homogenous magnetic field within an imaging region 32. Gradient coils 22 are typically resistive coils which provide a pulsed magnetic field, whose intensity varies, typically linearly, along the length of the bore of the magnet. The gradient coils serve to apply a precise intensity of magnetic field to a certain ‘slice’ of an imaged object, that ‘slice’ being at a certain axial position determined by the intensity and gradient of the magnetic field produced by the gradient coil. The body coil 24 operates to emit high frequency, typically radio frequency (RF) magnetic pulses, which establish resonance in certain atoms of the ‘slice’ of the imaged object, typically part of a human body.
The body coils 30 also act as an RF antenna, and pick up RF signals emitted by resonating atoms. These RF signals are typically analysed by computer so as to build up an image of the ‘slice’.
The gradient coils typically consume large quantities of electrical power—tens of kilowatts—which is then dispersed as heat. Various arrangements, such as water cooling, are known to enable the removal of this heat.
Some conventional arrangements include flared bore ends to give the perception of a larger bore tube diameter. It has been proposed to improve the illumination of the patient bore, as increased illumination is believed to reduce a patient's feelings of confinement and reduce claustrophobia. One known solution comprises a woven arrangement of optic fibres, lit by either halogen or LED light sources, to deliver light in the bore tube. WO200122108-A1 provides lamps mounted at the patient's head as part of a communication assembly which further includes microphones, speakers, camera and a mirror. US2005119559-A1 includes adjustable LED light fans arranged in the vicinity of the imaging volume, to visualize the spatial position of imaging planes. US2003/128034-A1 provides a backlit display screen in the bore of an imaging magnet. DE10334326 describes dual-skinned looks covers, which may include light sources between the skins, and/or which may include certain combinations of transparent and translucent layers.